Maricultured corals

As our wonderful reefkeepking hobby has grown so has the appearance of coral farms across the globe. Now when we think of a coral farm we usually picture a few shallow aquariums packed with hundreds of frags all neatly lined up sitting inches below high intensity lighting. These farms are sometimes located in a basement or an outhouse while the larger ones are full facilities all on their own.

Coral farms housed within aquariums are important to the hobby, many people have made a successful business from their farms – but the true power of coral farming lies in those farms who use the best lighting, the best filtration and the best flow – the ocean based coral farms. Much like land based coral farms, these mariculture corals are grown in the same way, parent colonies are fragged, attached to a suitable growing base and then given light, flow and food. The mariculture systems benefit from using all the best that the ocean has to offer – but it does mean the farmer has to get more than his/her hands wet. The mariculture coral industry not only has a positive impact on our hobby but it also creates jobs for people who live in these tropical regions. Mariculture of corals in the Caribbean has allowed the restoration of many species back to the wild reefs. With mariculture it really is win win.

If you look online and at your local coral dealer you will have no doubt seen corals listed as maricultured and these corals still present a better, generally hardier option than wild collected corals.

RVS 4 Star Mariculture Coral Farm

Do you prefer to purchase captive grown, maricultured or wild collected coral frags/colonies?

Curvball is the editor and founder of nanoreefblog.com. Having kept aquariums on and off since the age 8 years old, this now 32 year old hobbyist is well versed in various types of aquariums. His passion is SPS corals and the challenges of maintaining them in relatively small amounts of water. His professional background as a designer and writer combined with his love for this hobby makes nanoreefblog.com the perfect extension of his passions.

The History of Pico Reef Biology

One day when walking through Wal-Mart and thinking about design options, I noticed the curved 1.5 gallon vases for a few dollars and thought that would be a neat trial run, a seven dollar reef aquarium.Continue reading